Everyday health concerns
Members can address many routine health issues—including minor illnesses, new symptoms and certain stable conditions—when remote assessment is suitable.
Virtual Care
Healthcare access without the extra trip.
Virtual care can connect employees and eligible family members with healthcare professionals by phone, video or secure messaging—helping them address appropriate health concerns without always travelling to a clinic.
Remote care · Licensed clinicians
Virtual care at a glance
A convenient first step toward appropriate care.
Multiple channelsAccess may be available by secure video, telephone, messaging or a mobile application.
Licensed cliniciansDepending on the service, members may connect with physicians, nurse practitioners or other professionals.
Family accessMany employer programs can include spouses and dependent children.
Care stays personalClinical details remain confidential between the member and the healthcare provider.
Non-emergency careDesigned for health concerns that can be assessed appropriately at a distance.
Flexible accessService hours and appointment models vary by provider.
Clinical judgmentThe treating professional determines when in-person assessment is required.
Plan integrationVirtual care can complement health benefits, EAP and disability management.
What Is Virtual Care?
A different way to connect with healthcare professionals.
Virtual care extends appropriate healthcare services beyond the traditional in-person visit. Depending on the provider and the nature of the concern, services may include assessment, advice, treatment, prescriptions, referrals, requisitions or follow-up.
It is not a replacement for every clinic visit or for an ongoing relationship with a primary-care provider. A healthcare professional must decide whether the member's concern can be managed virtually and arrange or recommend in-person care when it cannot.
Not for emergencies.Employees with severe or life-threatening symptoms should call 911 or seek emergency care. Virtual-care clinicians may direct a member to urgent or in-person assessment.
How Virtual Care Can Help
Remove practical barriers between employees and care.
The benefit extends beyond the appointment itself, helping employees move from a health concern to an informed course of action.
Care navigation
A clinician can help the member understand whether to self-manage, obtain testing, see another provider or seek urgent in-person care.
Family convenience
Where dependants are included, parents and caregivers can access professional guidance without arranging separate travel for every concern.
Care beyond the visit
Documentation from a virtual visit can make it easier for members to share relevant information with their usual healthcare providers.
Convenience guided by sound clinical judgment.
Good virtual care makes access simpler while recognizing its limits. Providers should support secure encounters, appropriate assessment, follow-up and a timely transition to in-person care whenever the virtual setting is not suitable.
Plan Design
Focus on the service behind the technology.
Virtual-care programs can differ substantially in what they provide and how they operate. We help employers assess clinical capabilities, availability, geographic reach, privacy practices and reporting before choosing a provider.
01
Define the workforce need
Consider employee locations, shift patterns, family coverage, language needs and existing access to primary care.
02
Compare access models
Review hours, wait times, booked versus on-demand visits, communication channels and accessibility support.
03
Confirm clinical scope
Understand which professionals provide care and how prescriptions, testing, referrals and in-person follow-up are handled.
04
Review privacy and security
Assess consent, data handling, record access, platform safeguards and the separation of clinical information from the employer.
05
Plan the launch
Explain eligibility, access, appropriate use, privacy and emergency limitations with simple employee communications.
Provider Evaluation
A low fee means little if employees cannot get useful care.
Cost matters, but a successful program also depends on access, clinical quality and what happens after the consultation. A meaningful comparison considers how well the service works in practice, not simply when it is available.
Questions worth asking
- Who provides care, and where are they licensed?
- What are the actual service hours and expected wait times?
- Which services and family members are included?
- How are in-person referrals and follow-up handled?
- What privacy, security and record safeguards apply?
- What aggregate utilization reporting will employers receive?
Virtual Care vs. Employee Assistance
Different services for different needs.
Virtual care and an Employee Assistance Program can work together, but one should not be presented as a substitute for the other.
Virtual Care
Remote access to healthcare professionals for clinically appropriate concerns.
- Medical assessment and advice
- Treatment or prescriptions when appropriate
- Testing, referrals or care navigation where available
- Follow-up or transition to in-person care
- Clinical scope varies by provider and jurisdiction
Employee Assistance Program
Confidential short-term support and referral services for personal and workplace challenges.
- Short-term counselling
- Work, family and relationship support
- Legal or financial information where included
- Crisis support and community referrals
- Service scope varies by EAP contract
Integration improves navigation. Clear communications can show employees when to use virtual medical care, their EAP, their family doctor, a pharmacy, emergency services or another part of the benefits plan.
Privacy & Reporting
Insight into the program,
not into personal care.
Employers need enough information to assess value, while personal health information remains protected within the clinical relationship.
Member privacy
A provider should clearly explain consent, confidentiality, technology safeguards, record practices and any limitations of remote care. The platform must support applicable privacy and professional obligations.
Informed consentSecure technologyClinical recordsBreach response
Employer reporting
Employers should receive aggregate information that helps evaluate adoption, access and service quality—not individual diagnoses, prescriptions or consultation details.
Aggregate utilizationWait timesMember experienceService trends
Privacy requirements are jurisdiction-specific.Employers should obtain clear contractual commitments from the provider and appropriate privacy or legal advice for the workforce and service model involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Virtual care, explained.
Coverage and clinical capabilities vary by provider, contract, province and individual situation.
What is virtual care?
Virtual care is healthcare delivered remotely through technology such as telephone, video conferencing or secure messaging. It may support assessment, advice, treatment and follow-up when remote care is clinically appropriate.
Does virtual care replace a family doctor?
No. Virtual care can help with suitable health needs, but it does not take the place of a provider who knows the member’s health history over time. Relevant information from virtual visits can be shared with that provider when useful.
Can a virtual-care clinician prescribe medication?
Often, when the clinician determines that a prescription is appropriate and permitted. Some medications or circumstances require an in-person assessment, and provider prescribing policies vary.
Can members obtain laboratory requisitions or referrals?
Some services can provide requisitions or referrals when clinically appropriate and permitted. Employers should confirm the provider's capabilities, geographic coverage and follow-up process.
Are spouses and children covered?
Many employer programs include eligible dependants, but definitions, age limits and enrolment rules vary by contract.
Can employees use the service while travelling?
Availability can change when a member leaves their home province or Canada because clinician licensing, prescribing and insurance requirements depend on location. The provider's travel rules should be confirmed.
Is virtual care suitable for emergencies?
No. Employees should call 911 or seek emergency care for severe or life-threatening symptoms. The virtual-care service should clearly communicate its emergency limitations.
Will the employer see an employee's medical information?
A properly structured service provides employers with aggregate program reporting rather than personal clinical details. Employers should confirm privacy, reporting and data-use terms during provider selection.
Would better access make your benefits plan more useful?
We can help you compare virtual-care providers, define the right service model and integrate the program with your health benefits, EAP and employee communications.